In the game of golf, a golfer is allowed to hit the golf ball from the tee box by placing the ball on a golf tee to raise the level or height at which the ball rests above the ground. Particularly for use of drivers or other clubs of similar configurations, it is necessary to raise the height of the ball to some level thereby ensuring the club face strikes the ball at the correct height and angle.
A performance goal for professional as well as recreational golfers is to develop skills so that the game of golf becomes a more routine and repeatable sequence of actions thereby helping to eliminate the great number of variables that can produce an undesirable golf score. Highly skilled golfers such as professionals have the opportunity to play golf quite frequently, and because of this frequency, these golfers develop a certain “feel” for every aspect of the game to include the manner in which a golf ball is properly teed. However, recreational golfers do not get the opportunity to play as frequently, and inherently, will not have either the skill, patience, or discipline to correctly tee the golf ball each time. Ultimately, proper setting of the tee is important because it affects a golf ball's launch angle, launch direction, and the type and amount of spin imparted on the ball. Accordingly, improperly setting the golf tee will undermine a golfer's opportunity to shoot a better score.
A number of prior art devices exist to assist a golfer in setting a golf tee at the proper height. One example of such a device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,388. This reference discloses a device having a threaded arrangement that allows a user to incrementally select a height at which a golf tee extends above the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,357 is another example of a device used to set a golf tee. This device includes a pair of articulated jaw assemblies located at a lower end portion of an elongated tubular shaft, and a handle jaw operating lever located at an upper end of the shaft. Manual squeezing of the lever moves an actuation rod within the shaft causing opposed lengths associated with the rod to move each jaw assembly outwardly. The jaw assemblies coact to hold a golf ball and tee, and are releaseable therefrom after the tee has been inserted into the ground.
Yet another example of a device used for adjustably setting a golf tee includes the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,113. This reference discloses a clamp for engaging the shaft of the golf tee, and a positioning screw engages a head of the golf tee such that a predetermined length of the tee shaft projects beyond the clamp for insertion into the ground.
Although there are a number of prior inventions that exist, many of them suffer from various disadvantages to include being structurally complex and difficult to use. Additionally, the prior art suffers in that the references fail to provide both angular alignment and height adjustment of the tee with respect to the ground. Additionally, the prior art suffers in that many of the devices are large and bulky, and are not easily stored or carried by a golfer.